Improvement in ventilating-cowls



E. G. BANNER.

VENTILATING cowLs,

Patented Oct.17, 1876.

' ATTDBNEYS/ v`NTTEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWARD G. BANNER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN-VENTILATING-COWLS.

Specilicatcn forming partof Letters Patent No. 183,278. dated October ]7, 1876 application filed September 27, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

l Be it known that I, EDWARD G. BANNER,

f Figure l is a vertical section of my improved- Ventilating-cowl; Fig. 2, a modification of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are old forms of cowls of a construction allied to mine.

This invention relates to a combined apparatus for Ventilating soil-pipes, drains, sewers, carriages, ships rooms, and other buildings, and preventing downdrafts.

In order to withdraw a current of air from soilpipes, drains, sewers, ships, carriages, rooms, and other buildings, I carry up a shaft or pipe from the soil-pipe, drain, sewer, carriage, ship, room, or building, and upon the top of the shaft or pipe I mount a revolving cowl, constructed in the manner represented in the drawing hereinto annexed, and provide a valve of peculiar construction in saidl shaft or pipe for preventing any down-draft.

ln the drawing, A is a horizontal cylinder, with a funnel-head, Al, at oneend. B is a short tube passing downward from the funnel A1. rI he tube B rises up into the funnel, and is bent round to bring it parallel and concentric with the cylinder A, or nearly so, and is carried along for a distance within the cylinder A, as shown, lin order to cause a stream of air entering the funnel A1 to travel forward in a straight course before it arrives at the end of the tube B. O is a spindle, which is fixed to the funnel A1 and tube B, and passes downward through the center of this tube. The spindle O is received within a supportingtube, D, and rests upon a bearing'at its lower end. The supporting-tube D, hushed to lessen friction, is carried by arms from the sides of a short tube, E. This tube is placed at the top of the shaft or pipe, which is carried'up from the soil'pipe, drain, or sewer, or other place to be ventilated. B is a rain-guard around the tube B, to prevent rain passing into the tube E. A vane, F, is iixed to theA top of the cylinder A and funnel A1, so as al-l ways to keep the mouth of thefunnel directed toward the wind. By -this means any current of air entering the funnel Al will be directed i through the annular space between the cylinder A and pipe B, and, as it passes beyond the end of this pipe B,will induce a current through it, and, consequently, an upward current from the shaft or pipe leading from the place to be ventilated. r

The above construction of cowl affords a simple, cheap, and effectual arrangement for employing the force of the wind to induce an upward currentot' air through any pipe lead= ing from a soil-pipe, sewer, or drain, or from a room or other building, or. the cowl may be employed for Ventilating railway-carriages, or ships7 holds, cabins, and such like, or may be employed for inducing. an upward current through a chimney. Y

Having described the construction of the cowl generally, I would observe .thatI am aware that cowls of somewhat similar construction have already been designed to act'on the above principle, but have provedalmost fail ures in practice.

My improved cowl differs from all these chiefly in the particular proportions of its parts, 4which are of the first importance, and are, in fact, absolutely essential to the efficient action of the cowl.

I will proceed to indicate the more imporf-f tant proportions of the cowl. The cross-sec.- tional area of the annular space between A and/B should equal about one-third the sectional area of the cylinder A, or, in other words, the diameter ofthe inner tube B should he'about four-fths the diameter of cylinder A. The horizontal portion b to'b of the tube B, which passes along cylinder A, should not be more than three or four inches in length, while the length of the cylinder A should be about equal to nearly three times its diameter, and might be longer-that is to say, it must be of such length that the current of air passing' through the annular space between A and B, and which tends more or less, according to the velocity of the wind, to converge toward the center of the tube A as soon as it escapes from the annular passage, should so converge at a point well within the cylinder A. The dotted lines give an idea of this convergence with different velocities of the wind. The diameter of the `large end of the funnel A1 should not be more than twice the diameter of the cylinder A, and for the larger sizes should be less.

In order to still further point out the distinction between my improved cowl and other cowls intended to act on a similar principle heretofore invented, I will proceed to point out some of the defects of the latter cowls. In one form of cowl, Fig. 3, the mouth and outer end'of the inner cylinder B are in the same, or nearly the same, plane with the mouth and outerend a, of the outer cylinder A, and the current of air converging beyond or outside of the cylinder A is therefore without any useful e'ect whatever, and, consequently, such a cowl is practically useless. In another cowl, Fig. 4, the tube A is so short and of such large diameter relatively to the diameter of the inner tube B that it would require a gale of wind to produce more than very sli ghtetl'ect. In a cowl of another form, Fig. 5, the outer tube A is ol' smaller area at the outlet 4end @than the annular passage around the inner tube B, the result being a down-draft in the shaft, as the air, entering at the large end and passing too freely through the annular space, cannot all escape at the contracted outlet end a, so that the cowl is not merely ineffective, but produces the reverse etlect to that sought to be attained. Fig. 2 shows another forni ot cowl, which is a modification ot my invention. In this case the outer cylinder A is verticahand its lower end, which is funnelshaped, opens toward one side, so as to present itself toward the wind. This opening may have a horizontal division-plate, A2, to insure the more equal distribution of the current of air passing through the cowl by compelling the air which enters beneath the di- Vvisionplate to pass up behind the inner tube B. The upper end of the said cylinder is bent over toward the opposite side, the openig being in the direction in whichthe wind is blowing. The inner tube B is straight and vertical, and passes up into the outer tube A a certain distance, as described in reference to the horizontal cowl.. The same letters ot' reference apply to the dii'erent parts ot' this cowl, and the proportions of its parts are the same as before described in reference to Fig. 1, so that further description is unnecessary.

The valve which I use in combination with either form oi' cowl is represented at G. It

consists ot' a chamber, Gr, into which the air pipe or shaft is led, and from which the tube E rises, as shown. The under side of this chamber, into which the air-pipe is led, is inclined obliquely at an angle of about fifty-live degrees, and upon it rests a plate of mica, H, or other light material, which is placed loosely in the chamber G without being attached in any way. Its lower end rests in the lower angle of the'chamber, and it rises and falls as on a hinge. Being very light, it is raised by the slightest upward current, but falls immediately the upward current ceases, and etl'ectually prevents' any down-draft. A stop is provided in the chamber-G to prevent the vvalve H rising to a vertical position to insure its falling by its own gravity immediately the At the back of the upward current ceases. chamber Gr is a hinged door for easy inspection, 815e., and below it, at the point at which the valve of mica or other material rests, are openings into a dust-receiver, M, from which any dust which may accumulate can be readily removed.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new is- The improved combined ventilatin g apparatus consisting of a cowl constructed and proportioned as herein specified, in combination with a valve for preventing down-draft, coustructed substantially as described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 21st day of July, 1876.

EDWARD GBEGSON BANNER.

Witnesses:

WILMER M. HARRIS, J oHN DEAN,

Bothl of No. 17 Gracechurch street, London, 

